1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a fuel tank support structure for a saddle type vehicle, and to a body frame incorporating the novel fuel tank support structure. More particularly, the present invention relates to a fuel tank support structure which is formed, in part, by a portion of a body frame assembly, and to a body frame incorporating same.
2. Description of the Background Art
In relation to saddle type vehicles, there has been known a fuel tank support structure in which a main frame section extending rearwardly downward from a head pipe, and a pair of left and right lower frame sections extending substantially horizontally rearward from a lower portion of the main frame section are provided, a fuel tank is disposed between the pair of left and right lower frame sections, and the fuel tank is fixed to the lower frame sections (see, for example, Japanese Patent Laid-open No. 2002-331979).
Meanwhile, in order to secure the capacity of a fuel tank, it is desirable to extend the fuel tank in the left-right direction (vehicle width direction). In the above-mentioned saddle type vehicle in the related art, however, the lower frame sections are located on the left and right sides of the fuel tank. This makes it difficult to dispose the fuel tank so as to project to the outer sides relative to the width between the left and right lower frame sections.
The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned circumstances. Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to ensure that, in a fuel tank support structure for a saddle type vehicle, the capacity of a fuel tank can be enlarged by extending the fuel tank in the left-right direction.